Just wanted to say that Mark, Michael and Stuart from FMI and Trevor from PWC did an excellent job engaging the classroom in discussion each day, and had a great program format for teaching. The information they brought forward was extremely useful now as I'm sure it will be throughout my career. This was only my 2nd IMPACT course that I have attended, I would like to commend IMPACT on organizing these events for Ironworkers and contractors alike, IMPACT always put on an amazing program, and does a very good job at making these events comfortable and welcoming to attend. I plan to attend more IMPACT events as the information is always very useful and IMPACT does a great job of finding the right instructors for the occasion. I would like to thank everyone at IMPACT for the work they do to set these events up and providing the opportunity to attend these courses.

Regards,

Jacob Wicks
Chief Estimator
JCT Metals Inc.

News

Ironworkers president: Trump tariffs having a ‘mixed effect’ on union members

09/04/2018

Ironworkers union chief Eric Dean said Wednesday that President Trump’s tariffs are having a “mixed effect” on some of the group's members.

“Overall the contractors paying for steel are in one ear and the contractors who serve on steel mills and the members going to work, there are some furnaces turning back on and heating up — it’s having a mixed effect,” Dean, the president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, told Hill.TV.

Dean said that he had been holding back on weighing in on the impact of the new tariffs, saying he was trying to stay neutral because it affects some members differently.

The ironworkers union represents 120,000 members across North America. The union, which identifies as a "left-leaning organization," endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over Trump in the 2016 presidential election, but members split their votes between the candidates, Dean said.

Some major steel-producing towns are starting to fire back up their furnaces, Dean said, citing Youngstown, Ohio, as a prime example.

“The steel mills locals are very happy and employers that service that area, but all of the rest of my contractors buy and procure steel,” the former ironworker said.

The majority steel-producing cities across America are still struggling to make a come back, though.

The overall employment rate in steel cities across the U.S. has grown at a slow rate if at all following Trump's March announcement of tariffs on aluminum and steel, including from trade partners such as Mexico and Canada, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Trump said aluminum and steel duties would “only come off if [a] new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed."